Well, the time has come to get rid of our last remaining J-Body. Our 1994 Pontiac Sunbird LE Sedan is being picked up by the junkyard tomorrow (we're getting $275.00 for it). The engine still runs great, but unfortunately the rust is just way too bad on the underside and it now has a leak in one of the brake lines. I doubt it would even be able to tolerate being put on a lift or jack stands, etc. because the rust on the underside is that bad. My parents bought it brand new on January 4, 1994 and it has been a great little car for the past 19 years. My parents gave it to me to drive back and forth to school, etc. when I got my license in the summer of 2000. I couldn't have been any happier with it. The air conditioning didn't work, it didn't have a CD player or power windows, but I didn't care. It was my baby and I loved it more than anything. I kept a huge Rubbermaid container full of cleaning products in the trunk at all times and was always washing it and cleaning the interior. Needless to say my parents and I are more than a little broken up at the thought of getting rid of a "member of the family" after 19 years, but the time has come and it's the right thing to do. I'm sure I will tear up tomorrow as I watch it drive away on the back of a flatbed. I am just glad I no longer have a reason to go to the junkyard. I'd probably have a nervous breakdown if I saw it sitting stripped in the yard. Below are the last few pictures I took of it tonight...

And from my JBO profile, the rest of my J-Body history...

94tealsunbird wrote:

My passion for J-Bodies began in the fall of 1988 when my parents brought home a brand new 89 Sunbird LE Sedan. I was only four years old, but I will never forget that first Pontiac J-Body. As I got older I began to imagine myself driving around in it all alone... listening to the stereo... just cruising.

On January 1, 1994 my parents brought home yet another brand new Sunbird LE Sedan. This time it was a 94. This was my mom's and my dad was now driving the 89.

In mid 1997 my dad was in an unfortunate accident in the 89 Sunbird. My dad was okay, but the car was totaled. My parents got about $1200 for it from the insurance company. According to my dad, when it was totaled it had somewhere around 315,000+/- miles on it. That was a sad day. Now my dream of cruising in that Sunbird would never come true.

In August of 1998 my mom got a brand new 1998 Sunfire SE Sedan. My dad was now driving the only remaining Sunbird.

In the summer of 2000 I had only had my license for a few months when my dad announced the 94 Sunbird was to be passed down to me. And so began my real passion for Pontiac J-Bodies. I took such good care of that car. I loved it more than anything. Than in late 2002, the transmission began to fail on my beloved Sunbird. On November 9, 2002 I purchased a brand new 2002 Sunfire GT Coupe due to the ailing Sunbird transmission.

In late December of 2003, the transmission on the Sunbird was rebuilt with 217,200 miles on the odometer. *The 94 Sunbird was sold to a junkyard for $275.00 on January 21, 2013. It had 268,010 miles on the odometer. It still ran great, but unfortunately the rust had really taken its toll and one of the brake lines had a leak. We decided that after 19 years of faithful service, it was time to let it go to the junkyard in the sky. It was a great little car. It was my first car and I will miss it terribly =(.

My mom's Sunfire ran great up until the minute she traded it in with 201,500 miles on the odometer. Unfortunately, rust was starting to appear on the bottoms of all four doors and she was looking at some pretty costly suspension repairs, among other things. *On May 23, 2009 my mom traded her 98 Sunfire SE Sedan in on a brand new 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT.

For five and a half years I enjoyed my Sunfire GT Coupe greatly. It won me a 3rd place trophy at the 2005 GM Small Car Bash in Indy which was totally unexpected and such an awesome surprise. Through the GT I gained many lasting friendships and even more wonderful acquaintances. If it weren't for the GT I would know nothing about the J-Body platform or cars in general. As much as I enjoyed the GT over those five and a half years, it was time for me to move on to something more "grown up". *The GT was sold June 7, 2008 with 64,644 miles on the odometer. It will be greatly missed =(.

On July 7, 2007 I purchased a used 2002 Sunfire SE Sedan. I had liked the looks of the 2000-2002 Sunfire Sedans for quite some time so I finally decided to just go ahead and get one. My goal with it from the beginning was the same as the GT, keep it clean and subtle. The main focus was to be the suspension. It was a 2200 so it would never be fast, but I figured if I beefed up the suspension it would at least be fun to drive which was more important to me anyway. 2200 FTW! *On April 11, 2009 I traded the Sunfire in, with 65,934 miles on the odometer, for a brand new 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT!

Although, I no longer own a J-Body, I will always love them, as up until now they're all I've driven and owned. I will still be around here helping out whenever and whoever I can.

I someday hope to own another Pontiac J-Body...

It is most definitely going to be a weird feeling to no longer have a J-Body in the family after always having at least one (and as many as four at once!) for the past 25 years. I will always have a special spot in my heart for J-Bodies, specifically Sunbirds and Sunfires.